Surgeon Performance Made Public Record

Talk about accountability in conventional medicine, this week's British Medical Journal discusses what some health professionals feel to be a controversial move in the U.K.: Making the performance of individual surgeons available to the public. Researchers discussed the issues in relation to cardiothoracic surgery.

The inquiry into cardiac deaths at Bristol Royal Infirmary recommended that patients must be able to obtain information on the performance of hospitals and individual surgeons. Since then, cardiothoracic surgeons have been voluntarily submitting figures for publication.

But the arguments for and against publication are finely balanced. Cardiac surgeons in the United States, where public reporting already exists, believe that the system is unfair, as the performance of a surgeon is highly dependent on his or her institution. It may also encourage surgeons to protect their results by avoiding high-risk patients.

The value of such publications also depends on whether the outcome usefully reflects quality of care, the ability to cater for differences in casemix, and whether the publication is designed to facilitate patient choice or show consistency of standards.

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Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.